Think you need to spend a fortune to give a room a completely new look? Think again!
Decorating your home doesn't have to mean a huge renovation, expensive furniture or spending hundreds — or thousands — of pounds.
In fact, at Nobletts, we're big believers that a little imagination, a free weekend and a sensible decorating budget can completely transform a room.
With wallpaper available from around £2 per roll, paint from £12 a tin and cushions from £12, creating a room that feels fresh, stylish and completely different can cost a lot less than you might think.
And the best bit?
You can do much of it yourself.
Coming Home From Holiday? It's the Perfect Time for a Refresh
There's something funny about coming home after a holiday.
You've spent a week or two somewhere different, you've switched off from everyday life and then you walk back through your own front door and suddenly start looking at your home with fresh eyes.
That wall you've been meaning to paint?
The bedroom that could do with a bit of colour?
The living room you've been saying you'll decorate "one of these days"?
Suddenly, you notice it again!
Rather than thinking about a complete renovation, why not choose one room and give it an affordable refresh?
A new feature wall, a fresh coat of paint and a couple of new cushions can make a surprisingly big difference — without the expense of replacing furniture, flooring or everything else in the room.
Decorating Doesn't Have to Be Expensive
One of the biggest misconceptions about interior decorating is that you need a big budget to get a big result.
You really don't.
The trick is deciding where your money will make the most visual impact.
For example, instead of wallpapering an entire room, you could choose one feature wall and paint the remaining walls.
Instead of buying a new sofa, you could change the cushions and introduce a completely different colour palette.
Instead of replacing furniture, try changing the backdrop behind it.
A beautiful wallpaper behind a bed, sofa, fireplace or dining table can change the entire feel of a room.
At Nobletts, we have wallpapers starting from around £2 per roll, so creating a feature wall can be one of the most economical ways to make a dramatic change.
Browse Nobletts Paintable Textured Wallpapers
There are some fantastic bargains to be found, so don't assume that a beautiful room needs an expensive wallpaper!
Check out the amazing Prism wallpaper for only £5 a roll!
Or this
Try the Feature Wall Trick
If you're decorating on a tight budget, this is one of our favourite tips.
Wallpaper one wall and paint the other three.
It's simple, it's effective and it keeps the cost down.
Choose the wall you naturally look towards when you enter the room — perhaps behind the bed in a bedroom, behind the sofa in a living room or around a fireplace.
Use your wallpaper to create the interest, then pick out one of the colours within the design for the remaining walls.
The result can look like you've completely redecorated the room, while you've only needed a few rolls of wallpaper and a tin or two of paint.
And if you're not sure which paint colour works with your wallpaper, pick up your wallpaper here and we can match up the perfectg colour matched paint for you.
Paint Is One of the Cheapest Ways to Transform a Room
Never underestimate what a tin of paint can do.
At Nobletts, paint starts from around £12 a tin, making it possible to freshen up a room without breaking the bank.
You don't necessarily have to paint every surface either.
You could:
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Freshen up tired walls
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Paint one wall in a contrasting colour
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Introduce a warmer or more contemporary neutral
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Pick a colour from your wallpaper and continue it around the room
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Refresh woodwork to make the whole room feel cleaner and brighter
Our team can also help you find a paint colour that works alongside your chosen wallpaper, furniture and furnishings.
Internal link: Visit the Nobletts Paint Department
If you're unsure about colour, ask us before you buy. Sometimes getting the colour right first time is one of the easiest ways to save money!
Don't Replace Everything — Work With What You Already Have
This is where decorating economically gets interesting.
Before buying anything, look at what's already in the room.
Could your existing sofa work perfectly well with some new cushions?
Could a tired bedside cabinet be painted?
Would your curtains look completely different against a new wall colour?
Could moving a chair, lamp or side table from another room give the space a new look?
Very often, you don't dislike the furniture — you're simply bored with the room around it.
Change the walls, introduce a few new colours and rearrange what you already own before deciding anything needs to be replaced.
You might be surprised.
The £12 Room Update: Never Underestimate a Cushion!
Here's another easy decorating trick.
Change your cushions.
It sounds almost too simple, but cushions are a brilliant way of introducing a new colour, texture or pattern without committing to a major decorating project.
With cushions available at Nobletts from around £12, you can pick out colours from your new wallpaper or paint and carry them across the room.
That repetition of colour is one of the little tricks that helps make a room feel properly "designed" rather than simply decorated.
Wallpaper + coordinating paint + a couple of carefully chosen cushions can create a completely new look for surprisingly little money.
DIY Can Be Good for More Than Your Bank Balance
There's another reason we're big fans of DIY decorating.
It feels good.
There's something incredibly satisfying about standing back at the end of the weekend and looking at a room you've transformed yourself.
Decorating gives you a project to focus on, gets you away from screens for a while and lets you do something practical and creative.
Choosing colours, putting up wallpaper, painting a wall and gradually watching a room come together can be genuinely rewarding.
And then there's that moment when everything is finished, you put the furniture back, arrange the cushions and think:
"I did that."
That's hard to beat.
Set Yourself a Budget Before You Start
If you really want to decorate a room economically, decide what you want to spend before you start shopping.
Then prioritise.
For example, your budget might go towards:
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Wallpaper for one statement wall
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Paint for the remaining walls
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One or two cushions to bring the colour scheme together
Keep your existing furniture, curtains and flooring and build your new look around them.
The aim isn't necessarily to buy more.
It's to make the things you already own look better.
That's a much smarter way to decorate.
Measure Before You Buy — We'll Help!
Buying too much wallpaper wastes money.
Buying too little can be even more frustrating.
If you're unsure how many rolls you need, ask us.
Bring your room or wall measurements into Nobletts and our team can help you work out how much wallpaper you'll need, taking the pattern repeat into consideration.
We can also advise you on paste, preparation and the tools you'll need for the job.
It's all part of the service.
And if you're working with a limited budget, tell us!
We'd much rather help you find the best solution for the money you want to spend than point you towards something that's outside your budget.
Our Advice Is Free — And It Could Save You Money
One of the advantages of shopping with a specialist decorating shop is that you don't have to figure everything out yourself.
At Nobletts, we've been helping people decorate their homes for generations.
If you have £50, £100 or £200 to spend, come and talk to us.
Bring a photograph of your room on your phone.
Bring measurements if you have them.
Tell us what you like — and what you definitely don't like!
We'll help you work out where your budget will have the biggest impact.
Sometimes that might mean wallpaper.
Sometimes paint.
Sometimes it's simply choosing the right colour and changing a few accessories.
Internal link: Find out more about our free wallpaper and paint advice
A New-Look Room Could Cost Less Than You Think
So, if you've come back from your summer holiday feeling refreshed and you've started looking around the house thinking "this room needs something…", don't automatically assume that "something" needs to cost a fortune.
Start small.
Choose a wall.
Pick a wallpaper you love.
Add some paint.
Move a few things around.
Introduce a couple of cushions.
And enjoy doing it yourself.
With wallpaper from around £5 per roll, paint from £12 a tin and cushions from £12, you might be amazed at how far a modest decorating budget can go.
And remember, you don't have to work it all out on your own.
Pop into Nobletts Wallpaper in Belfast, show us some photos of your room and tell us your budget.
We'll help you find the colours, wallpaper and finishing touches that'll give you the biggest transformation for your money.
Because a beautiful home doesn't have to cost a fortune.
Sometimes it just needs a great idea — and a free weekend.
Ready to give your room a budget-friendly makeover?
Explore the Nobletts Paint Department or browse our wallpaper collections online for inspiration.
